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Is Bard College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Bard, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Heavy lift
Bard lands in the heavy lift band for a typical family. The combination of $34,649 in yearly net price and $24,254 in median debt asks a lot relative to median earnings of $46,543. For context, Bard's net price is about 10% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. This does not make the school wrong for every student, but it does mean the price deserves a closer test.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$25,218
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrNet price is slightly above average
You'd pay about $2,381 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $10,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is doing real work against the score and raises the financing burden quickly.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$34,649
Median earnings 10 years out
$46,543
Median debt at graduation
$24,254
Graduation rate
70%
At Bard, a typical graduate carries about $24,254 in student debt and earns roughly $46,543 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $276 per month, or 7% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
What this means for your family
Bard is a private nonprofit four year school in Annandale-On-Hudson, NY. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Union
Schenectady, NY
Worth-It Score: 78/100
Median net price: $34,561
Private nonprofit 4-year
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY
Worth-It Score: 64/100
Median net price: $34,906
Private nonprofit 4-year
Hofstra
Hempstead, NY
Worth-It Score: 58/100
Median net price: $34,176
Private nonprofit 4-year
Ithaca
Ithaca, NY
Worth-It Score: 57/100
Median net price: $33,926
Private nonprofit 4-year
Siena
Loudonville, NY
Worth-It Score: 67/100
Median net price: $33,733
Common questions about Bard
The median net price at Bard is $34,649 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in New York? See the most affordable private colleges in New York →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →